A New Platform [Intro Post October]

[voidtreckermods]

On the Train

The train continues its journey

"Good morning Voidtreckers, it is day sixteen of the month of Nebula. Points have been updated on the system."

With points updated, everyone can spend the morning shopping. Most people will be expecting the second announcement that comes a few hours later.

"Shortly arriving into a designated void platform. Exit from void in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one." A lurch and a jolt and the windows fill with the fog that means they are at a platform.

The doors open. As usual, those who leave first notice nothing, walking silently, rucksacks on their backs, towards the barriers. Asch, Ayumi Uoshida, Cleopatra Selene, Della Duck, Ghost, Hanuel Min, Jaisyn Solo, Jonathan Sims, Martin Blackwood, Nie Huaisang, Vermouth; all pass across the platform, not looking back. And then they're gone, disappeared through the barriers and into the fog beyond.

But on the platform itself there are four new faces. Wearing hoodies, three in purple one orange, in various states of confusion.

For New Passengers

At first all they can see is steam billowing around them as they come to their senses. As their eyes adjust, they find themselves on a platform. The platform is relatively small, a brick wall behind them and cracked flagstones on the floor. It is cold, icy cold but the wall at least shelters them a little.

They are standing, in clothes that are not their own and a style they might not even recognise. They are carrying a rucksack on their back. For a moment it seems to just be them, alone on the foggy, freezing platform; then the fog begins to fade and they realise they aren’t alone.

The platform isn't large, but it is enough to hold the four figures scattered around, all facing the tracks, all dressed in cargo trousers and hoodies. Then there is a roaring sound and out of the fog arrives a train. Jet black with gold writing on the side. The Voidtrecker Express. There is a hiss as the doors slide open and out pours a strange assortment of people, over a hundred at least. Some are human, some are less so. Most are wearing the same hoodie in one of the four colours, red, orange, blue and purple, though some are sporting different clothes in a variety of styles.

Behind them, the doors close, and the train is cloaked in the same fog that hides the world beyond the platform.

The Train

After a short time, perhaps ten minutes or so, the fog clears and the doors hiss open again. Those from the train may encourage those on the platform to board. It’s not like there's anywhere else to go and even if there was, you feel a pull. A need to board, a feeling that staying on the platform would lead to something terrible. If that is not enough, there are plenty of people on the platform now, to encourage them onto the train.

Each ICP shows the same message and next to the screens there are stacks of leaflets written by those on the train, with further information (see
'Publications'). The store rooms have been restocked with fresh ingredients, including yadon tail, as well as all sundries.

For passengers that have bought items, these are also scattered around the luggage carriage in various suitcases and bags.

New passengers will find their ticket allows them into their cabins. In most rooms, the occupied beds are obvious, leaving the spotless, empty spaces for the newcomers. Room is tight but there are storage cubbies at the head of each bed, beds fold up and the bottom bunks double as benches for the small table. There is storage under those benches full of spare blankets and pillows.

Departure

A second horn sounds to encourage any stragglers taking advantage of the fresh air, and the doors slide shut. Veteran passengers know what will happen next, but they may wish to brief their new companions.

The train sets off, the fog obscuring the view again as it picks up speed.

"Welcome aboard, passengers of the Voidtrecker Express." A female-coded artificial sounding voice echoes throughout the train. "Please take the time to read the passenger information displayed on the Information and Communication points and familiarise yourself with the layout and emergency exits."

The train begins to tilt, leaving the ground and rising up into the fog-filled sky.

"Entrance into Voidspace imminent. New passengers are advised to remain seated. Entry into Voidspace in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one."

A shudder, a jolt, a lurch to the left. A flash of light, colourful and blinding. As quick as it happens it is done. The train seems to steady itself. The fog from the windows is gone now, replaced with a kaleidoscope of ever-changing colours.

Welcome to the Void!

Comments

[jan_ken_hacking]

Click.

One shot. Kiyoiri lets the rifle slump a bit from there however, the shot barely leaving a dent in its target.

"...I took her rifle," she mutters, clearly unsure what to really think of that.

"...I don't even like rifles."

[flatteries]

Thank Naga that she lets that rifle slump a little, because the tension in here does make Inigo kind of worried that she might turn around that weapon on someone else..

But it seems like he's in the clear for now - even though it doesn't solve the main problem here, namely the fact that Kiyoiri is so obviously so very hurt. So he takes a step closer, putting a very careful hand on her shoulder, now he hopes it won't startle her anymore while she's using the weapon.

"You have a piece of her," he says. Even if it's rifle-shaped, sure, so it's somewhat of an.. odd thing to remember someone by, in that sense.

But he gets the desperation of wanting to hold onto any piece of the other, even if it's this.

"But.. then why shoot it like this?"

[jan_ken_hacking]

Fortunately, it's charmed against harm. If anything it's a glorified magic wand.

"...I need to get back in practice," is her excuse. It's quiet, and dull, and distant.

"...Ayumi's things shouldn't get dusty."

A cold reason, but not one that's easily dismissed either.

[flatteries]

"You won't let them."

Inigo makes sure his voice sounds confident. Sure, it's not really like he knows Kiyoiri too well.. certainly not well enough to be able to say that with the confidence that's currently present in his voice.

But considering how important this person seems to be to her, he just knows. No one would let that happen to stuff that reminds them of their important people.

"But.. I'm not necessarily sure doing this right now is the right answer, you know?" His voice is a little softer at that, more gentle. Like he's trying to coax a cat out of a tree.

[jan_ken_hacking]

"...No." No, she won't.

Unfortunately, much like any cat in a tree, she's retreating up the figurative branches as high as possible before she even considers coming down.

"I'm out of practice," she bluntly replies. "I need to take advantage of the time there is before the next mission."

[flatteries]

That's definitely what's happening here. And Inigo knows it too - perhaps because he's had a few too many friends with this sort of habit. Gerome comes into mind, first and foremost. Maybe because he misses the other, but also because this is 100% something he would have done if he was hiding hurt. Pretend that he was doing something productive, even if he was destroying himself by cropping up all the hurt.

"Do you really think you can train properly while you're like this?"

Maybe it's a little on the blunt side, since it's a direct callout, but at least it's not accompanied by a blunt tone. That's not like Inigo, after all, he's too soft, especially when people are hurting. Instead his tone sounds more worried than anything else.

[jan_ken_hacking]

"Focus under pressure is a strong trait," she counters, though it is a weak counter indeed- at the very least, there isn't a lot of force behind it. "...the bullets aren't meant to hurt, anyway. ...they're spells, so..."

Figuratively, the cat in the tree seems to at least be stuck in place instead of retreating now- so that's a step forward.

[flatteries]

".. I've practiced like this before, you know."

He speaks a bit more slowly now, like he wants to make sure to at least maintain this status quo, if not lure this 'cat' all the way down. It makes his voice sound a tad naturally gentle.

"While I was all worked up." Not really here on the train, but back home..? Oh, he's done this so many times.

He knows exactly how it tends to not help you at all in the end.

"But somehow it always made me feel worse." And it doesn't seem to be really helping Kiyoiri right now either, judging from how much the other still seems like she's drowning in the emotions.

[jan_ken_hacking]

Quite right he is- it's not helping at all, and all she's really doing is making it worse, just given her typical aversion to the things.

Bait set, she quietly manages to ask a question- "...What happened..?" It's not clear what she's asking about- whether it's 'what happened after that', or 'what happened to cause that', or even something else. She leaves that to Inigo to decide ultimately.

[flatteries]

Inigo releases a slow breath.

He doesn't like talking about this stuff. He's avoided doing so most of the time. Whenever he gets an opportunity to weasle his way out of having to talk about this, he grabs it with both hands.

But right now he doesn't have much of a choice, right? If he wants to convince Kiyoiri at all, give her even a shot at feeling better, he needs to be honest.

So he speaks.

"Everything kept going wrong. I kept losing people important to me, and generally being unable to save people." This is the easiest way to talk about it, if he has to. In vague terms. "And I thought I'd be able to protect everyone and stop losing people if I got stronger, but.. I realised all that training was doing nothing but turning my bad emotions inward. Letting them consume me. The better thing to do during those moments.. It's to turn outward. To see if you want to share your feelings with everyone. Or see what you can do for others, to try and take your mind off it."

[jan_ken_hacking]

Answer to the first one it is, then.

At the very least it's more effective in getting her to come down from her pseudo perch with the rifle, even if she's silent the entire time she does so. She sets her feet back on the ground, shoulders the rifle, and comes a bit nearer.

...

"...I'm not going to do the first one," she says after a while, looking to the ground. That one seems a bit too...difficult, honestly.

[flatteries]

".. that's why it's an 'or', you know?"

There's a small pause before he says it, yes, because Inigo just feels glad that she's willing to consider his words at all. He knows it can be hard to think about things so hard in a situation like this, so this is already quite an improvement.

It's more than he thought would happen here, if nothing else.

"Just doing anything to deal with this.. It takes a lot. So I'm rather glad to hear that you're willing to consider as much."

[jan_ken_hacking]

"Right..." Kiyoiri swallows, but nods again all the same. Though she still holds the gun awkwardly in her arms, and still looks down rather than at the other, she at least seems to be listening.

"...It's from experience...right..?" she asks, carrying on just as quick. "...it would be rude, to disregard that..."

[flatteries]

There's a definite moment of awkwardness here - but it's a moment of awkwardness where Inigo tries.

You see, usually he'd resolve this with some physical contact. A hug or something. Even when he isn't very close to people, it often feels like the right thing to do. But Kiyoiri is a deadly combination. It's someone he isn't super close to yet, and it's a girl.

(Terrifying.)

Which is why he can't quite bring himself to hug her, especially since she does still have that gun.. so instead he just.. slowly.. reaches out.. to put a hand on her shoulder. He's doing it. He's being brave.

"You have no idea how many people have disregarded my advice," he says, a slight smile on his face. "So I hope it works out for you. There's always chores to do on the train, or there's a lot of people who could use a hand with their purchases in the luggage carriage.. There's always something you can find to do for others that's mindless enough to tune out your thoughts for a while."

[jan_ken_hacking]

It's probably for the best. Not that she's that awkward with hugs, but she's just awkward and stiff enough over all that it would probably make things somehow worse.

Besides.

He's being brave enough as is after all, so she just returns the smile a little more brightly. Even if that brightness is quite slight indeed.

"...Yes...Red team has to do cooking for now, so that should work at least... ...it's...better than this, you're right."

[flatteries]

Cooking sounds like a pretty good outlet. Especially since it's something you have to keep paying attention to, lest something goes wrong!

So there's no protest here whatsoever. This is an Inigo-approved solution, apparently, because he just keeps smiling at her.

"Sounds great. Do you want me to walk you there?" Not that it's necessary, he thinks, but maybe she might feel a tad more comfortable with it, in the light of someone important to her having left. Not being alone.

[jan_ken_hacking]

Surely, no one will be concerned when they come to find her cutting up 'yadon tail' with a cleaver.

No one.

That's a problem for someone else however, and for now Kiyoiri just nods. "...Yes. Thank you," she adds. "...I need to put this away before I go there."